-----

"Nnngaaahh?!"

With a loud scream, the Nightmare froze in place. I gasped for air and looked behind me, realizing I was trapped inside some kind of domain.

Is this why my parents haven’t come to rescue me? Is it so powerful they can’t break through?

Wait... could there be time dilation at work? It wouldn’t be uncommon.

If so, I have to get out of here fast—a second outside could be a year in here!

As I stood up and started running...

Crack, crack...!

"Ah?!"

CRASH!

"You dare freeze me, ungrateful child?!"

His four monstrous heads burst out of the frost. His claws tore through the ice as he took a step forward and pointed his hands at me.

"Nightmare Flood!"

With a roar, a torrent of monstrous nightmares surged from every direction, shrieking as they took the shapes of people’s deepest traumas and twisted creatures. They lunged at me.

"Get away!"

I raised my hand. Ice surged outward and froze the nightmares solid. I clenched my palm, and they exploded into glittering ice dust.

"Wow, I can do that?"

"I FOUND YOU."

But I couldn’t afford to marvel at my own power. The Nightmare had located me. He raised his weapons and swung them down mercilessly.

I ran as fast as I could, leaping aside as the giant hands slammed into the ground. The impact shattered everything; huge chunks of black stone rained down, crashing around me as I sprinted toward the domain’s barrier.

"Uwaaahhh!"

The faster I ran, the more my heart pounded in my chest.

"COME BACK!"

The Nightmare roared and fused with the entire domain, transforming into a vast black cloud that spread everywhere. His crimson eyes locked onto me.

"YOU’RE JUST WHAT WE NEED! YOUR POWER... WILL FINALLY LET US INVADE THIS DIMENSION!"

"No!"

I kicked off the ground and leaped farther. Massive claws descended from the sky one after another. I glanced upward and saw dozens of enormous eyes pursuing me, firing red laser beams. I dodged as best I could while closing in on the barrier, but several beams struck me.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

"Ugh?!"

I tumbled to the ground, rolling down a hill and splashing into a swamp of purple sludge. The miasma swarmed with countless tiny nightmares that tried to pierce my skin.

"Ugh... This is so disgusting!"

As I stood and ran again, I realized I was completely unharmed. Was I really that tough? Or was the Nightmare unable to focus its damage on me?

No matter the reason, I had to escape.

"COME HERE!"

"Agh!"

I kicked off the ground and used my wings to soar upward as fast as possible.

The barrier was only seconds away!

"Almost...!"

Just a few more meters, a few more meters and I could finally...

"Ah..."

But as I reached out to touch it, the barrier dissolved into shadows.

My eyes widened. I looked back at the giant Nightmare closing in.

"Huhu... Hahah... HAHAHAHAHAHAH!"

"..."

"Did you think that was the barrier?! You’re still too far away, foolish child! Now come!"

A massive claw seized me and dragged me toward its gaping jaws. Its countless maws drooled while its spiraling eyes stared with twisted fascination.

"Uugh! Let go of me!"

I struggled with everything I had, unleashing all the Mana I could muster along with the frost from my Soul Treasure. Ice spread across his claws and shattered them.

But the moment I thought I was free, new claws formed—made of hardened black energy so dense my ice couldn’t touch it.

"LET ME GO!"

I screamed with all my strength as the Nightmare swallowed me into a sea of curses and specters, tearing at me from every angle.

"Nnngghhh!"

I resisted with everything I had. My ice kept freezing and shattering his attacks, only for him to regenerate even faster.

"Why?! What the hell are you even made of, you damn brat?!"

He gnawed at me with his enormous sharp fangs, unable to pierce my scales.

"Heheh, I’m a tough nut to crack, jackass!"

As I laughed in his face, I channeled energy into my wings and released it in a powerful kick. My strike crushed one of his massive eyes, exploding it into purple blood.

BOOOM!

"GRAAAAHH!"

I fell from the dark skies and landed back in the swamp. There was no time to rest—dozens of monstrous fish-like horrors rose from the mud; their black bodies covered in pulsating red eyes.

"WRAAAHHH!"

They chased after me with horrifying shrieks. I started running again.

And running.

And...

No.

"I won’t run!"

I spun in midair and charged back toward them. I swung my fists with all my strength, releasing Mana in a surging black-and-white aura.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

My punches unleashed a barrage of explosions. The Nightmare Beasts burst apart one after another, disintegrating into nothing.

"Let me go already, Nightmare!"

With all the fury of a baby dragon, I slammed my fist into the ground. The impact shattered the earth; cracks raced outward as massive boulders launched into the sky.

Using my speed, I rushed at each boulder, kicking them one by one and sending them hurtling toward the Nightmare in the sky.

"W-Wha...?! Who the hell do you think you are?!"

He roared monstrously and charged toward me. His body rapidly transformed into the giant form from before, but even larger now—seemingly composed of countless screaming nightmare beasts.

"DIE!"

With his enormous black axe, he tried to cleave me in two, but I dodged swiftly, spinning in midair and spreading my wings.

"RAAAAHHH!"

I felt something hot building in my throat. With a loud scream, I released it all, and...

To my shock...

BOOOM!

A massive beam of white and light flames erupted, piercing straight through the Nightmare’s body and leaving a gaping hole. Explosions echoed and reverberated across his massive frame.

"Nnngghh?! Aaaagh! W-Wha...! You’re just a baby! How come...?!"

"I’m a dragon too!"

I kicked off the air, swinging my fists forward and turning my tiny body into a living projectile. I pierced him again and again, zigzagging around and riddling his form with holes.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

"UUUAAGGHHH?! W-WHA...! WHAT IS GOING ON?! JUST BE QUIET, YOU DAMNED CHILD!"

I am not weak.

I am strong.

I AM STRONG!

"RAAAAHHHHH!!!"

With a mighty roar, I unleashed all my power at once.

Darkness and light exploded from every scale on my body, transforming into beams and lasers that chased after him relentlessly.

"W-WHAT...?! AAAAAHHHHH!"

The Nightmare screamed as thousands of explosions hammered his gigantic body one after another. His titanic form began to crumble.

"Y-YOU...! JUST HOW...?!"

With one final scream of agony, he slammed into the ground beneath him and shattered the dimension itself, tearing open a massive black portal.

"W-What the hell is that?!"

He sneered viciously in response. His body had shrunk to a tenth of its former size, yet he still radiated unnatural confidence.

"I am calling for backup."

"What?!"

RUMBLE!

The entire Domain trembled as the giant black hole continued to widen. The monstrous Nightmare began to grow larger again, absorbing the debris that flew toward him.

"Heheh... Hahahahaha!"

As he laughed, I tried to fly as far from the black hole as possible—until I saw something emerging from deep within the dimensional fracture.

The air grew even heavier. A gigantic head appeared, fully clad in black armor shaped like a furious demon—a demonic helmet the size of a car.

"What the hell is that...?"

My eyes widened and my mouth fell open as the massive entity fully emerged. It resembled a slender, spiky creature over a hundred meters long. Its black armor bristled with sharp spikes; it had four long arms ending in blade-like fingers.

Pulsating red flesh showed beneath the armor. Each hand summoned a giant black sword forged from darkness. Long black flames flowed like hair beneath its helmet, and its red-shot eyes stared at me with pure madness.

Behind it, hundreds of similar creatures emerged one after another. It didn’t take long to recognize what I was facing.

"A Nightmare King?!"

In the Nightmare Dimension—a realm born from humanity’s collective fears, nightmares, and curses—countless monstrosities exist that should never interact with our world.

Among them are the terrifying Nightmare Beasts, the intelligent Nightmares (usually humanoid, resembling demons or speaking creatures), and above even them, the Nightmare Kings.

These monstrous Nightmares had devoured millions of lesser Nightmares and Nightmare Beasts, along with countless living souls, evolving into the ultimate apex predators of the Nightmare Dimension.

They were supposed to appear years from now, but because of this entire unforeseen mess, everything was spiraling out of control.

How could one drop of my blood have drawn so many Nightmares after me?

"Is this the child?"

His voice boomed with such force that it stole the air from my lungs. I dropped to my knees, struggling to move.

"Uugh..."

"Yes, my King," the Nightmare answered. "She’s the one with the most exquisite blood. If we take her, we can evolve into far greater beings!"

"This small thing holds such power? Hmmm..."

The Nightmare King took a step forward. The titan shook the ground and the skies. His eyes blazed bright red as he scanned me.

"What is this power?!"

His eyes widened in disbelief as he sensed something inside me. He raised his hand and dragged me into the sky with telekinetic force.

"Ugh...!"

"This is a once-in-a-million opportunity... By devouring your flesh and soul, child... I can finally obtain the power to evolve... Yes...! I can become a Nightmare God...!"

His metallic claws clamped around me tightly. His monstrous jaws opened across his chest.

From within that maw, I saw an endless vortex of death—countless souls and corpses screaming in agony, burning eternally in black and red flames.

"Gyyaaaahhhh!"

"Uwaaaaaggh!"

"Aaaaeeehhh!"

"Uuaaahhhh!"

It was horrifying. My entire body broke into a cold sweat, but I was completely paralyzed under his gaze.

This was the difference in power between a Nightmare and a Nightmare King.

It was like heaven and earth.

It was... hopeless.

As I was about to be swallowed into his maw, I closed my eyes.

...

"ELIZABETH!!!"

Until I heard his voice cut through the chaos and darkness. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

My eyes widened as a brilliant beam of pure white light pierced the skies, shattering them like glass.

A massive golden spear followed, etching deep into the Nightmare King’s chest. His eyes bulged as he coughed up blood in violent bursts.

"G-Gaaaaack...! Kuaaagh?! W-Wha...! What is this—"

CRASH!

Before he could finish, a gigantic white claw slammed down, crushing his head into the ground. The floor shattered beneath the force, and the entire castle erupted into countless fragments.

"Uwaaahhhhh!"

The massive explosion of blinding light hurled me backward, but his tail caught me before I could be flung too far. My eye widened as I gazed upon his True Dragon Form.

A white dragon of breathtaking beauty and majesty—glowing golden horns, gleaming yellow eyes, pristine white scales, and six feathered wings.

"Elizabeth... are you okay?"

He looked at me with deep concern even as his massive, razor-sharp claws continued grinding the Nightmare King’s head into the shattered stone.

"D-Dad!"

Joyful tears streamed down my face as I saw my father finally appear. His spear of golden light tore through the Nightmare King’s chest, shattering the monster as though it were made of fragile glass.

"W-WHO...! WHO ARE YOU?!"

The Nightmare King screamed in fury, struggling against my father’s strength. He tried to push back against the overwhelming power of the True Dragon Form.

But it was futile.

"Stay where you are, filth."

"FILTH?!"

The Nightmare King exploded with rage. Black and red flames surged upward like a pillar, staining the blue skies completely black.

Day turned to night in an instant. Countless red stars blazed across the darkened heavens. My father growled as he realized the Nightmare King had slipped free, even after being torn to pieces.

"I am afraid you are severely underestimating me."

The Nightmare King’s voice echoed through the entire blackened sky. His eyes opened everywhere, then began falling like crimson meteors—not just toward us, but straight toward the capital below!

"I am the Seventh Nightmare King, Umbroth the Hollow Sovereign!

And I shall rain doom upon you and your people for daring to oppose me, lowly lifeform!"

My father stood motionless, watching the red meteors plummet. His aura surged as he spread his wings and glanced back at me.

I looked around in panic. Arthur, Kaguya, and Ashur were nowhere to be seen—nor were their children.

"W-Where’s Mom?!"

"Don’t worry about her. She’s fine."

"But the city! Dad, they’re about to—"

BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM!

Countless explosions thundered in the distance. I squeezed my eyes shut in terror, then slowly opened them, dreading the sight of the capital reduced to ruins.

But that wasn’t what I saw.

A vast barrier of crimson demon souls and chaotic flames had spread across the entire city and its surroundings, forming an impenetrable fortress.

At the center floated my mother. She gazed upward at the Nightmare King—who had merged with the sky itself—and at the endless Nightmares pouring from the Nightmare Gate left in the castle’s ruins.

"Dear, I’ll handle the small fry. Go destroy that thing. The rest will help, so don’t worry."

"Very well. I’m leaving it to you."

My father nodded. He spread his wings, then enveloped me in a bright white light, shielding me inside a protective bubble woven from his own Divinity.

"Hold tight!"

He placed me gently on his back, gripped his golden spear, and launched it skyward. Then he leaped after it, riding the spear like a surfboard through the heavens.

"Woah, that’s amazing!"

He streaked across the sky at blinding speed, a golden thunderbolt arcing backward, crashing straight into the endless mass of darkness.

I was surprised he didn’t toss me around or lose his grip. But he was utterly confident in his strength, he didn’t even seem to consider any other possibility than charging directly into the sky.

RUMBLE!

The heavens shattered and split as my father reached them. His divine golden-and-white presence radiated such immense pressure that it began to twist the very fabric of the Nightmare King’s existence.

"You believe yourself worthy of facing me, lowly being?"

"The only lowly being here is you—the one who dared kidnap my daughter. Nothing awaits you now but the deepest hells, you wicked monstrosity."

"HAHAHAHAHAHAH!"

The Nightmare King’s laughter shook the sky. The darkness coalesced into gigantic black fists that hardened into massive meteor-like gauntlets.

"Then face me, inferior lifeform! Let us see if you can back up your words with actions!"

"I will tear you to shreds and devour your heart."

RUMBLE!

And then, the next thing I saw was an endless clash of darkness against light. My father’s power radiated everywhere, resembling a literal sun in the sky, illuminating everything from above. The Nightmare King roared, spreading his darkness and nightmares in all directions. His giant fists slammed against my father’s body, only for his scales to protect him, reinforced by the golden divine spear in his grasp.

CLASH!

Explosions of blinding divinity and dark nightmares echoed across the battlefield. My father roared as his aura surged, suddenly transforming into dozens of armored figures.

Wait, what is this?!

"Incarnations! Come to me!"

RUMBLE!

From his aura, he summoned an entire army of "beings" he called Incarnations. Was this related to the Spiral of Incarnations he had mentioned earlier?

Each one looked completely different from the others, yet they shared certain traits: bodies forged from metal and ethereal energy, composed entirely of pure, raw Fantasium at the highest level.

"Ashen Heir! Archdemon! Berserk King! Draconian Paladin! Abyssal Lich!"

Each surged with immense power. The Ashen Heir resembled my father’s Dragonoid form, but crafted entirely from silver, wielding a gleaming golden-and-white sword made of ethereal ashes that constantly faded and reformed.

FLASH!

The Ashen Heir vanished, then reappeared high above in the skies. He swung his massive sword, slicing through the entire sky and cleaving dozens of gigantic black fists and star-like eyes.

The Archdemon appeared as a giant, monstrous demon covered in dozens of horns forged from red and gold metal. Laughing maliciously, it used its four massive arms to punch the sky apart. Demonic flames erupted, setting the Nightmare King ablaze.

The Berserk King roared mightily and charged forward like a beast. This one resembled a barbarian forged from black and silver metal, its metallic scream furious as it tore into the Nightmare King’s gaseous body with claw-like hands, beginning to rip him apart.

The Draconian Paladin stood majestic—a white paladin clad head to toe in dragon-themed armor, with a pair of dragon-like wings. It split the sky with a charged sword strike, forcing the Nightmare King to pull his body together lest he be destroyed outright.

Lastly, the Abyssal Lich sneered. A skeleton made entirely of black metal, cloaked in shadows, it raised a staff of metallic bones. Countless souls of the fallen rose like a tidal wave of darkness and despair, crashing against the endless nightmares in the sky.

"This is but a glimpse of the true power of Spiralwalkers, Elizabeth," my father said suddenly. "Watch carefully. This is the power of the Spiral of Incarnations!"

My father roared and charged the skies. His aura surged, unleashing dozens of abilities. For a moment, it resembled an endlessly spiraling white void.

"Ruinous Flames of Calamity."

His eyes gleamed with pitch-black light. From his jaws, dark purple flames surged. He opened his maw and unleashed his first breath attack I had ever witnessed.

BOOOMMM!!!!

It happened so fast I almost missed it—a massive pillar of dark purple fire pierced the nightmare skies, spreading into countless explosions.

"Nnnggh?! AAAAAAGGGHH!"

The Nightmare King screamed in horror as his entire ethereal body burned and began turning to ashes. He desperately divided and regenerated his form while hundreds of massive, hundred-meter fists made of black steel rushed downward, blazing with nightmare flames.

My father remained calm, gripping his golden spear, Gungnir. The weapon glowed brightly with immense divinity. He thrust it upward, unleashing dozens of lightning-fast strikes.

It felt like a single motion that delivered hundreds—no, thousands—of attacks at once. The sheer scale was utterly insane the more my mind tried to process it.

"W-WHAT...! WHAT SORT OF...!"

The Nightmare King could not believe what was happening. His countless fists were being destroyed, and the Incarnations my father had summoned were now tearing apart the rest of his body in the sky.

Completely cornered, the Nightmare King was forced to gather his form and revert to his true shape—still massive, but no longer able to extend his body as freely.

"To think there are lifeforms with your level of power..." the Nightmare King said in a shocked voice. "Instead of fighting, I am willing to negotiate. Let’s share that child. She has boundless power! I am willing to give you half of her, so both of us benefit and neither has to die."

"..."

My father fell silent. His eyes darkened, the radiant glow of his body fading. Ashes scattered from his form, revealing a shape I had never seen before.

It was a fusion of his True Dragon Form and Dragonoid Form: blue skin covered in armor of Ashen Frost, dozens of arms and wings, and nine broken halos floating behind him.

"I will now take your heart."

RUMBLE!

The sky split apart. The clouds vanished in an instant. Everything around me turned pitch black for a moment, then countless stars streaked past as if we were hurtling through space at impossible speeds.

And then—

BOOOM!

An explosion of blinding light and ice erupted from the Nightmare King’s chest. My father had pierced his torso, sharp claws grasping the black, twisted heart.

"A-Ahh...! W-Wha...?!"

The Nightmare King’s eyes widened. His hands tried to fight back, but without his Nightmare Heart to fuel him, his body grew pale gray and began crumbling to dust.

"H-How...!"

It was so fast I could barely follow it.

The moment my father transformed, he moved at such velocity that everything shifted in an instant, as though he had crossed light years through outer space.

In the next breath, his claws had already torn into the Nightmare King’s chest and seized his still-beating heart.

It was brutal beyond words.

"How...! I...! I am the seventh... Nightmare... King...!"

He clung to life for a moment longer, only for my father’s hands to seize his head and rip it apart. Blood and flesh splattered everywhere before the rest of the Nightmare King’s body crumbled into dust.

With the still-beating heart in his grasp, my father examined it carefully. He had said he would eat it, but he seemed to be reconsidering.

"Don’t eat it yet, Dad! It might be dangerous!"

"Hm. This is the first time I’ve encountered these lifeforms. Haaa... And of course, we have a lot to talk about later, young lady."

"Eek! I’m just three years old!"

"Age doesn’t matter here. You’re a dragon and you’re speaking to me perfectly right now. You are fully aware of the consequences of your actions, I assume?"

"...Yes." I sighed, lowering my head.

I guess I’m getting grounded.

"Wait, what about Mom?" I looked down.

-----